Marlins Drop 1 1/2 Back

Phillies Take Advantage Of Florida Relievers

September 17, 2005|By Juan C. Rodriguez Staff Writer

MIAMI GARDENS — Jim Mecir had begun his walk from the Dolphins Stadium mound to the Marlins dugout before manager Jack McKeon instructed him to return. McKeon hadn't yet signaled for the pitching change.

Paul Quantrill made it a few yards out of the bullpen before he was summoned back. McKeon wanted the lefty, Ron Villone.

That lack of synchronization lasted the final four innings.

The Phillies broke open a 2-2 game in the sixth inning Friday with the first five of 11 runs scored off Marlins relievers. The resulting 13-3 romp in front of 30,853 kept the Phillies a half-game back of the victorious Astros in the wild-card race. The Marlins fell to 1 1/2 back after 13 straight days of remaining between a half-game back and a game ahead.

Since the Astros swept them at home Sept. 5-7, the Phillies have won six of their past seven games. The Marlins have lost three straight for the first time since July 16-18.

Winning these final two head-to-head meetings will entail derailing a Phillies offense that has scorched the Marlins. In beating the Marlins seven of the past nine games, the Phillies have hit .369 (123 for 333) with 15 homers and averaged 9.7 runs per game.

Friday, the Phillies sent nine men to the plate en route to the decisive rally. The first two reached on Mecir walks and scored on a two-out, Michael Tucker single off Quantrill. Making his South Florida debut as a Marlin, Quantrill retired David Bell before walking Todd Pratt to load the bases for Tucker, who lined a 2-1 pitch up the middle.

Leadoff man Jimmy Rollins followed and made it a four-RBI night with the second of his three hits. His hitting streak is at 22. Batting second, Kenny Lofton tallied his fifth career five-hit game.

Meanwhile, the Marlins struck out six times in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. During their last three games they are 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position .

Making his first start since Aug. 20, Brian Moehler was impressive through five, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out a season-high eight. Moehler finished one off the career high he set in 1997 after getting the Phillies' three, four, and five hitters a total of five times.

Through four innings, Moehler had as many strikeouts (seven) as he'd amassed in his last six outings (11 innings) combined. He struck out at least one in each of those innings, including Chase Utley and Pat Burrell twice apiece. Through he didn't walk a batter Moehler threw 94 pitches, his highest total since going for 111 Aug. 11.

The lone runs he allowed came with one out in the third, when Rollins sent a pitch to deep right. Juan Encarnacion jumped at the wall and appeared convinced he caught it until he looked in his glove. The ball went through his glove, and ultimately settled on the wrong side of the fence.

Including the Rollins homer, three of the seven hits Moehler allowed went for extra bases. Yet Moehler held the Phillies hitless in five chances with runners in scoring position.

The Marlins nearly matched their combined run production of their previous two games (three) with one Carlos Delgado first-inning swing off Jon Lieber. With a man on, Delgado sent a towering shot to center just beyond the 404 sign.

For Delgado, his 31st homer also was his third in five games. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games with 11 extra-base hits at a .487 clip (19 for 39). In addition, he continued his mastery of Lieber, improving to 10 for 19 (.526) with two doubles, a triple and three homers.

The Marlins will try to even the series behind 21-game winner Dontrelle Willis this afternoon in their first of back-to-back nationally televised games.